Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Covered California enrollments assisted by Certified Insurance Agents are producing a minimum of $9.2 million per month in commissions as estimated from enrollment statistics released by the states ACA exchange. While this number may sound impressive, a good chunk of the enrollments were for individuals and families who already had health insurance. With many health […]
With a peek at the enrollment statistics released by Covered California after the end of the ACA open enrollment we are able to visualize just how large the health insurance industry is in the state. While the enrollment data is only for individual and family plans (IFP) purchased through Covered California, the 1.3 million individuals […]
Did you get your Covered California agent survey and how did you respond? It was a pleasant surprise that a survey from Covered California showed up in my email in-box. Does this survey represent a new chapter in communications between agents and the California exchange or will Covered California continue business as usual with the […]
Covered California announced on May 15, 2014 that they will follow the HHS guidance and offer a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for individuals and families currently on a COBRA health plan. However, people should be cautious before they leave their COBRA plan and jump into a Covered California plan for many reasons.
Through casual conversation and on various Internet forums numerous agents and brokers have mentioned they arent getting paid commissions for business they submitted through Covered California. Is there a crisis of commissions not being paid to Certified Insurance Agents? Without reliable data from the agent community it is hard to tell if the missing commissions […]
Covered California’s Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) announced on May 7th that agent commissions will once again be delayed. This comes on the heels of last months announcement that SHOP hoped to pay commissions at the end of April. SHOP has had to completely move all billing data for the small groups enrolled onto […]
Covered California has been listed as a Gold sponsor of the California Association of Health Underwriters (CAHU). In late 2009 CAHU was very vocal that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act should not be passed by congress. A CAHU Gold sponsorship costs approximately $10,000 according to their website. It would be interesting to know what Covered California believes it is getting for the sponsorship?
Different interpretations of monthly verses annual income estimates on the part of Covered California and county Medi-Cal administrators have the potential to leave many Californians who are drawing unemployment benefits without any health insurance. At least one person has been denied the ability to purchase a private health plan with ACA tax credits while being simultaneously excluded enrollment in the ACA expanded Medi-Cal health plan. The conflicting interpretations can leave many people ineligible for either ACA tax credits or Medi-Cal.
Consumers who were unable to create an online account or start their online application because of technical difficulties can contact a Covered California Certified Insurance Agent to explain that they attempted to get through on March 31 and experienced difficulties. Those consumers will have until 11:59 p.m. April 15 to work with the Certified Insurance Agent to complete their application and choose a plan.
Outside of open enrollment there will be few opportunities to switch health plans unless the individual or family has a qualifying event such as moving to a new region. In all cases, if you are making the change through your Covered California account, you’ll need to terminate participation in the current health plan, create a change report and then select a new health plan.
